Households across the UK are being urged to pour boiling water in their wheelie bins this week to guard against an unsettling invasion inside all of our dustbins. Whenever hot weather returns, dustbins, wheelie bins and household bins in general will start to become inundated with wiggling, crawling maggots.
Why maggots appear in hot weather
The fly larvae love hot conditions and enclosed spaces with plenty of food, which a bin provides in spades. Temperatures will rise to a sweltering 36C on Thursday in parts of south east England, the Met Office has forecast. And in the days leading up to Thursday, much of the UK will gradually get hotter and hotter, with temperatures ranging from 28C to 34C in most of the country.
These represent ideal conditions for flies to breed in bins, so households should go out and tackle their bins this Tuesday or Wednesday, before the hot weather hits its peak on Thursday.
Expert tips for preventing maggots
A tip shared by Mark Hall, from businesswaste.co.uk, suggests people should use hot water and disinfectant or bleach in their bins to remove maggot eggs before they hatch.
He said: “The summer heat can turn bins into a breeding ground for maggots when household waste isn’t managed properly.
“It’s easier to prevent maggots making a home in your bins than it is to evict them. Making sure your bins are as clean as they can be before the weather gets warm is the simplest solution.
“Use hot water and a strong disinfectant or bleach solution (one part bleach to 10 parts water). Scrub the bin’s interior and lid thoroughly, focusing on corners and crevices where maggots might live and hide. Rinse well and let the bin dry completely before using it again.
“If it’s too late and maggots are living in your bin, pour boiling water over them. The extreme heat will kill the maggots instantly. Afterwards, dispose of the dead maggots and sanitise the bin with hot water and disinfectant.”
Additional prevention methods
Mark added that maggots are attracted to food waste, which rots more quickly in the summer heat. Ideally, compost waste food in a compost bin but otherwise seal up any food bags tightly so maggots can’t get in. Otherwise, moving the bin to the shade can help stop maggot infestation too.
Mark adds: “Maggots are quite prevalent in the summer due to the heat, but there are a lot of easy ways to prevent and remove them. Just applying a couple of these tips should be enough to prevent these pests from becoming a problem.”
Met Office forecast
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Mike Silverstone said: “Temperatures will climb through the weekend and, more significantly, through much of next week. After a brief dip on Monday, high pressure will move across the UK before settling to the east, allowing a southerly flow to develop.
“A fairly widespread heatwave is likely across large parts of England and Wales, with hot conditions developing in places. The heat is expected to peak for much of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland on Wednesday, with up to 34°C possible in parts of central and southern England and southeast Wales. East Anglia and south-east England, however, could see temperatures even higher on Thursday.
“Humidity levels are also expected to increase through the week, which may make conditions feel more uncomfortable, particularly overnight.”
